The urinary bladder is responsible for two important physiological functions: urine storage and urine emptying. This process involves two main steps: (1) the bladder fills progressively until the tension in its walls rises above a threshold level; and (2) a nervous reflex, called the micturition reflex, occurs that empties the bladder or, if this fails, at least causes a conscious desire to urinate. Although the micturition reflex is an autonomic spinal cord reflex, it can also be inhibited or mediated by centers in the cerebral cortex or brain.
Purines, acting via extracellular purinoreceptors, have been implicated as having a variety of physiological and pathological roles. (See, Burnstock (1993) Drug Dev. Res. 28:195-206.) ATP, and to a lesser extent, adenosine, can stimulate sensory nerve endings resulting in intense pain and a pronounced increase in sensory nerve discharge. ATP receptors have been classified into two major families, the P2Y- and P2X-purinoreceptors, on the basis of molecular structure, transduction mechanisms, and pharmacological characterization. The P2Y-purinoreceptors are G-protein coupled receptors, while the P2X-purinoreceptors are a family of ATP-gated cation channels. Purinergic receptors, in particular, P2X receptors, are known to form homomultimers or heteromultimers. To date, cDNAs for several P2X receptors subtypes have been cloned, including: six homomeric receptors, P2X1; P2X2; P2X3; P2X4; P2X5; and P2X7; and three heteromeric receptors P2X2/3, P2X4/6, P2X1/5 (See, e.g., Chen, et al. (1995) Nature 377:428-431; Lewis, et al. (1995) Nature 377:432-435; and Burnstock (1997) Neurophamacol. 36:1127-1139). The structure and chromosomal mapping of mouse genomic P2X3 receptor subunit has also been described (Souslova, et al. (1997) Gene 195:101-111). In vitro, co-expression of P2X2 and P2X3 receptor subunits is necessary to produce ATP-gated currents with the properties seen in some sensory neurons (Lewis, et al. (1995) Nature 377:432-435).
P2X receptor subunits are found on afferents in rodent and human bladder urothelium. Data exists suggesting that ATP may be released from epithelial/endothelial cells of the urinary bladder or other hollow organs as a result of distention (Burnstock (1999) J. Anatomy 194:335-342; and Ferguson et al. (1997) J. Physiol. 505:503-511). ATP released in this manner may serve a role in conveying information to sensory neurons located in subepithelial components, e.g., suburothelial lamina propria (Namasivayam, et al. (1999) BJU Intl. 84:854-860). The P2X receptors have been studied in a number of neurons, including sensory, sympathetic, parasympathetic, mesenteric, and central neurons (Zhong, et al. (1998) Br. J. Pharmacol. 125:771-781). These studies indicate that purinergic receptors play a role in afferent neurotransmission from the bladder, and that modulators of P2X receptors are potentially useful in the treatment of bladder disorders and other genitourinary diseases or conditions.
Recent evidence also suggests a role of endogenous ATP and purinergic receptors in nociceptive responses in mice (Tsuda, et al. (1999) Br. J. Pharmacol. 128:1497-1504). ATP-induced activation of P2X receptors on dorsal root ganglion nerve terminals in the spinal cord has been shown to stimulate release of glutamate, a key neurotransmitter involved in nociceptive signaling (Gu and MacDermott, Nature 389:749-753 (1997)). P2X3 receptors have been identified on nociceptive neurons in the tooth pulp (Cook et al., Nature 387:505-508 (1997)). ATP released from damaged cells may thus lead to pain by activating P2X3 and/or P2X2/3 containing receptors on nociceptive sensory nerve endings. This is consistent with the induction of pain by intradermally applied ATP in the human blister-base model (Bleehen, Br J Pharmacol 62:573-577 (1978)). P2X antagonists have been shown to be analgesic in animal models (Driessen and Starke, Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 350:618-625 (1994)). This evidence suggests that P2X2 and P2X3 are involved in nociception, and that modulators of P2X receptors are potentially useful as analgesics.
Other researchers have shown that P2X3 receptors are expressed in human colon, and are expressed at higher levels in inflamed colon than in normal colon (Y. Yiangou et al, Neurogastroenterol Mot (2001) 13:365-69). Other researchers have implicated the P2X3 receptor in detection of distension or intraluminal pressure in the intestine, and initiation of reflex contractions (X. Bian et al., J Physiol (2003) 551.1:309-22), and have linked this to colitis (G. Wynn et al., Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol (2004) 287:G647-57); Inge Brouns et al. (Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol (2000) 23:52-61) found that P2X3 receptors are expressed in pulmonary neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs), implicating the receptor in pain transmission in the lung. More recently, others have implicated P2X2 and P2X3 receptors in pO2 detection in pulmonary NEBs (W. Rong et al., J Neurosci (2003) 23(36):11315-21).
There is accordingly a need for methods of making compounds that are effective modulators of P2X receptors, including the P2X3 and P2X2/3 receptors.